Buffing mechanism for passenger-cars.



R. D. GALLAGHBR, JB. BUFFING MEGHANISM FOR PASSENGER GARS.

` APPLICATION FILED MAR. ZZ, 1909.

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R. D. GALLAGHER, JR. BUFFING MEGHANISM FOR PASSENGER GARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1909. 961,948.

Patented June 21, 1910.

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APPLIOATI'ON FILED MAB..22,1909.

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RICHARD D. GALIAGI-IER, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD COUPLER COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BUFFING MECHANISM 'FOR PASSENGER-CARS.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, R101-IARD D. GAL- LAGHER, J r., of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bufmg Mechanism for Passenger-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to that type of butling mechanism especially adapted for use on passenger cars, the object of the invention being to provide a practical and convenient arrangement of the parts whereby the buffer is permitted an easy resilient movement to the point of coupling, the yielding resistance to further movement being materially augmented in order to absorb heavy shocks when the cars are brought together.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a convenient arrangement whereby the center stem, its spring and associated parts, may be removed from the car without detaching the buffer from the vestibule face plate and without disturbing the flooring of the car or platform.

In the accompanying drawingse-Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of one end of a car equipped with the present improvements, portions being broken away to show underlying parts; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2, Fig. l, looking` toward the left; Fig. 3 is a section in a central vertical plane longitudinally of the car; Fig. 4c is an end elevation of one-half ofthe buffer beam extension with the stems in section, and Fig. 5 is a section substantially on the line 5-5 Vof Fig. l.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jung 21, 1910 Application filed March 22, 1909.

Serial No. 485,044.

Figs. l and 3 show the general arrangement of the car frame and platform timbers, thus, the platform timbers A-A are conveniently in the form of I beams adapted at their outer ends to support a buffer beam B which latter, in turn, carries a buffer beam extension C usually in the form of a malleable casting having a contour face which may be curved as indicated by the dotted line c in Fig. 1, and provided bea-rings for the passage of the center and side stems. These bearings are preferably made of considerable length axially of the stems, an indicated at C in Fig. 3 and project forwardly of the rear face of the buffer beam extension, which face is adapted to rest against the outer face of the buffer beam itself. Each bearing is conveniently provided at the bottom with a wear plate C2 held in place by having its ends bent down around shoulders c2 on the buffer beam eX- tension.

The enlarged outer end portions D of the stems are preferably square where they pass through the bearings in the buffer beam eX- tension, while their inner ends D are round and are of somewhat less diameter, thereby forming shoulders d for a purpose which will presently appear.

The side stems are pivotally connected at CZ with the inner face of the buffer E, while the center stem rests against the said inner face and is adapted to yieldingly resist the inward movement of the said buer at the center. Each side stem is provided with an elongated reinforcing follower sleeve F adapted to seat against the face of the buffer beam and to surround the said stem so as to reinforce the same at the point where the diameter of the stem is reduced. The rear face of said reinforcing collar or follower is adapted to form the abutment for the forward end of the side stem springs, saidA springs being confined between the reinforcing collars F and a rear follower G located in a suitable chamber in brackets G mounted on the outer sides of the platform time bers A. The side stem springs consist o f inner coils H of a length to normally ll the space bet-Ween the followers F and Gr, and relatively heavier surrounding coils II of somewhat less length, whereby initial movements of the side stems in either direction will be resisted by the inner and lighter coils and final movements will be resisted by the combined action of the inner and outer coils.

The rear end of the center stem extends back through a follower I adapted to be held against rearward movement by a back stop or stops K secured to the proximate faces of the timbers A, and having their follower supportinor faces so arranged that the follower itselfP may be moved downwardly for detachment from the car. In order to hold the follower, together with the rear end of the center stem and parts carried thereby, up in working position, a supporting plate L is bridged across between the timbers A immediately under the follower and in removing the center stem and attached parts, as hereinafter described, it is designed that this supporting plate shall be detached by the removal of its attaching rivets or bolts.

Mounted on the center stem between the follower I and the inner face of the buffer beam are a pair of oppositely arranged spring cups M, the forward cup M `being preferably formed to fit around and bridge the point in thecenter stem where the latter is reduced in diameter and both cups preferably have theirupper sides cut away as indicated at m in Fig. l, in order that the parts may be brought up close to the underside of the licor plates. The spring cups M are adapted to receive the opposite ends of coil springs which surround the center stem, thus, as best seen in Fig. 3, smaller and lighter coil springsO are arranged immediately around the stem and are long enough to substantially ll the space between the proximate faces of the cups while larger and heavier coils O surround the lighter coils and are of less length but adapted to absorb in connection with the lighter springs the compression strains which exceed the capacity of the lighter springs alone.

rIhe proximate edges fm/ of the spring cups are adapted to contact under abnormal compression or inward movement of the buffer, just before the inner face -of the buffer itself comes into contact with the buffer beam extension, but the arrangement is such that no 1material deformation of the spring cups or centerV stem can take place before the said buii'er will contact with the buffer beam extension and transmit shocks directly to the car framing.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that inward movement ofthe buffer first compresses the inner and lighter coils of the springs andv in the preferred arrangement the permissible yield before the heavier springs are brought into action is such that Vthe couplings between the cars will have become engaged and locked but any further :movementv of the cars toward each other,

either in the act of coupling or during train movements, are absorbed by the combined action of the light and heavy springs. By this arrangement, a soft and easy coupling between cars may be effected and at the same time a train in running condition is connected up as a unit with considerable resistance to any elastic movement between cars.

In passing around curves, the buifer is adapted to be tilted or rocked about the end of the center stem, one of the side stems being drawn forward and through the action of its inner follower compressing its spring and the other side stem being pushed inwardly and through the action of its front A follower compressing its spring. The springs of both side stems are,'therefore, put under tension and the capacity of the center spring is such that it will overcome the resistance of the side stem springs, thereby causing the end of the center stem to act as a fulcrum and hold the face of the buffer in close contact with the face of the coperating bulfer, but at the same time, and under similar conditions, the springs will operate effectively in resisting bodily inward movement of the buffer itself. Y

To remove the center stem, together with its associated parts, the supporting plate L is preferably detached from the timbersV A and the center stem drawn forwardly a sufficient distance to permit the follower 4to drop down from between the timbers after which the center stem, together with the spring cups and springs may be moved rearwardly between the back stops until they are entirely separated from the buffer beam and buffer beam extension.

The side stem springs and followers may be removed by first removing the rear side stem followers and then withdrawing the springs, etc., the means whereby the springs may be removed from the side stem followers, however, forms no part of the present invention. Y v

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- 4buffer for resisting outward movement, a center stem bearing at 1ts forward end against the buEer and at its inner end eX- tending'into Vproximity to the stops, `a rear center stem follower removably held by said stops and having a central bearing in which the center stem works, aV forwardY follower for the center stem, a shoulder on the stem cooperating with said follower and springs interposed between said followers, the arrangement being such that the buffer and center stem may be drawn forward to disengage the rear end of the center stem from the rear follower and the latter be removed, permitting the center stem and its springs to be removed inwardly between the stops.

2. In a buling mechanism, the combination with the car framing, buffer and side stems, of a buffer beam extension having an elongated bearing therein, a center stem eX- tending through said bearing and adapted to be removed therefrom by inward move ment, a rear follower removably mounted in the framing and having an aperture for the passage of the inner end of the center stem, spring cups mounted on said center stem between the rear follower and buffer beam extension, a shoulder on the center stem cooperating with the forward spring cup and springs interposed between said cups.

3. In a buffing mechanism, the combination with the car framing, buffer beam and buffer beam extension having the forwardly projecting elongated rectangular bearings for the side and center stems, of the side stems having rectangular outer ends mounted in said bearings and pivotally connected with the buffer, the center stem having a rectangular outer end working in the bearing in the buffer beam extension and adapted to be entirely removed inwardly through said bearing, a shoulder on the center stem, a spring cup coperating with said shoulder and adapted to have its forward movement limited by the buffer beam, a rear follower removably mounted in the framing and having a bearing for the center stem, a spring cup mounted on the center stem and adapted to seat against said follower, and springs interposed between said spring cups.

4. In a bufing mechanism, the combination with the car framing, buffer, buffer beam, side stems and side stem springs, of a center stem, a rear follower supported in the framing at the inner end of the center stem, a spring surrounding the center stem and oppositely disposed spring cups mounted on the center stem in position to engage the follower and beam, respectively, said cups having flanges on their proximate faces adapted to abut, the space between said flanges being less than the aggregate spaces between the spring coils and between the spring and cups whereby the compression of the spring is limited by the engagement of the flanges.

RICHARD D. GALLAGHER, JR.

Witnesses:

HENRY SOHNELLER, GEORGE D. THOMPSON. 

